Ribbon-feeding mechanism for tag forming machines



Feb. 12, 1935.

C. G. MORTIMER RIBBON FEEDING MECHANISM FOR TAG FORMING MACHINES Original Filed June 19, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l :g Him umm w I N N a a N m $4 5 N a Q a 6 b N O O h g 9 w a Q N e I N 0 Q3 ,99 j H \HW" I N i in: b I 2 5 E o O o o I N QAiLS, I a c i3 ark f: O

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INVENTOR' ATTORNEYj Fab. 12, 1935 c. a. MORTIMER 1,990,915 RIBBON FEEDING MECHANISM FOR TAG FORMING MACHINES Original Filed June '19, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BYCAmLa {LMW ATTORNEYS Feb. 12 1935. V MORTIMER 1,990,915

RIBBON FEEDING MECHANISM FOR TAG FORMING MACHINES Original Filed June 19, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR J. Mufti. BY

ATTO RN EYS Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNiTED RIBBON-FEEDING :MECHANISMTGR T-AG TFORMINLG MACHINE-S Charles 'GfiMortimer, Glen Ridge,N'..;l., assignor 10' Joseph ILf-Lynch, Asbury Park; N. J.

Original application :June :19, 5193-1, :Serial No; 545,424. Divided and this1app1icati0n July-2,7,

1932, .Serial No. 625,164

The present ,iinvention :relates to -means for feeding-a ribbon of metal or the zlike :intoa ma-,

chine in which it is .to be :cut'into tags, and :is

herein :illustrated as iapplied to a :machine which severs tags successively from .the ribbon, stamps reenforcing and other :marks on the :tag, and ap plies them to robjectsy-such :as Elaundry articles, to be identified, :which is 'more :iully shown-and described .in my application, Serial "No. :54 5A24, filed June 19, l9-31,=0f Whichthepresentapplication :is :a division. The invention 'herein'described is however susceptible .Of35121131l03tl011 to any-machineinWhirih tags-are to be formed from a ribbon.

A- completesmachine-embodyingithe-various elements and combinations constituting mydnvention :comprises specially designed feed -;rolls, straightening devices, and intermittently actuated =mechanism "f or operating :the ifeed :rolls in cooperation with -';the mechanism icontrolling the starting and stopping :of the smachine by which the tag is .formed and utilized.

In the accompanying drawings-'1 Figure :1 :shows, :in sectionalz'elevation, :a tagforming, marking andapplyingmachine-tovwhich my improved ribbon-:feeding :mechanism 5 is capplied, parts of the machine not directly:associat- .edwithzthe zpresentj inventiombeing brokenzaway.

.Figure 2 iszazcross+sectional [view thereof taken substantially on thelline 2-2, :Figure 1, :looking intthe :direction of :the arrows.

iFigure 3 is -.-a 713631 rview showing :the ''coupling to :connectithe main shaftiof the rmachineto the power 'drive and the .feeding rmechanismavithits coupling, :both 'couplings being shown partially inrcross-ssection. V

Figure 4zis across-sectional view substantiall takenzalongdines4-4 onsFigurefi,:and looking in .theidirectionni the arrows.

Figure 5 :ra. :cross rsectional view :of @the ;-main clutch, taken along line 55, Figure 3, .andalook- .ing in the 'direction of the arrows.

Figure '6 'shows the eccentrics and is a crosssectional view taken along the line "6 6, on Figure 3,looking in' the :direction of the arrows.

Figure :7 "shows the "I'lbbOIliWlth a blank cut thereirom,:ready .to'be formeddnto a tag, rand Figure28 is aediagram ofzthezelectrio-wiring and main inperatingr switches.

'is the source :of electric power.

are described. Besides these'mechanicalsreaeors for providing suchperiorations, iiprovide-these apertures 'to:a11ow:a free flow :of water through the tags and through that :part -of ithe Zlaun'dry pieces-to w'hichathe tagszare applied, an'dFarmmd which they are folded. *Thissecures aitlrorough contact of :the working :liquid and :the :laundry pieces also in the neighborhoodeof and between the :folds of fthftag." The ribbon ,runs over ;an idler 2; which actsasa'rguide aIIdSSBGLIP-BSTHIB contact of the ribbonrwith the feed 2r011-3 lover :a long part of itsicircumierence, :and :also isecures engagement with'rmore zthamonerpairrof the-propelling pins 4 on the feed roller. These pins sengage with the router perforations '5 on :t'he iribbon. v V

From this If'eed roller= the :rlbbon is ifOlCGd through straightening roll 56; :above, and :rolls 2'? and. 8,'- below the ribbon path,-.more1 clearly shown on Figure 2. Roll bscanz-be adjusted with :respect to its distance ffrom the .pairzof rollers 7 and '8. This is done by adjustment screws -:9, having :nuts seated"below {projections from :a stationary part -of the :Ili-e :mechanism. The screws e form thelower ends of rodswhich-extend through -gui'de housings oneach. side i of :the :ribbon, from:points belowfto-=points:abovethe latter where they are formed-with bearings for the reduced ends-of the :roll 6. Whena-newribbon is inserted, it isconvenient to be in a=position to increase this clearance.

After leaving f the straightening rolls, the ribbonenters the diede-ViceTIO'through s1otflLacting as a guide. This is as far-.as the eribbongo'es when anew ribbonis inserted.

The machine is star-tedwhenever the-operator presses the push buttons 1B,:I3a. 'Therei-isa'pair of such buttons, one on eitheriside of ;the:.platen Figure 8 isa diagram of theielectric circuit into whichlbuttons '13 and 1-3ware inserted. i200 flows from the pole tothe :contact lever "15. As soon as button 13 is pressed against :the resistance of spring 16, contaet is made: between the inturned point 49- of lever iI5-and toe 1'7, :pivoted on contact'rod 1 8. Figure 8 showsithis po'sition. Toe 17 =is-normally -held in aposition perpendicular totheontact-ro'd l8 by means-of spring members 19 and tongue '20 whichiis an extension of the toe l7. Suitableinsulation isprovidedito secure-the flow of: current 'in 'the abovedescribed w-ay. i

Further depression of the button 13 causes the toe 17 to be turned upwardly with respect to rod The current i 18, as shown in dot and dash lines on Figure 8, and also causes contacting of the points. 21 and 22. It must be noted that the toe 17 and the upper end of 15 remain in contact when 21 reaches 22. Flow of current is then established between.15 and the solenoid coil 23 up to terminal 24. By the simultaneous pressing of button 13a, the complete circuit is closed.

As soon as power is by this means supplied to 23, the solenoid core 25 is pulled into the coil and takes with it connecting rod 26 and bell crank 27 which is fulcrumed at 28 and linked to cam track 29 by means of link 30. 0am track .29 is pivoted at 31 to a stationary support 32.

The fly wheel 33 is driven by a belt or the like from'a motor not shown. A pinion 34 is atreceive the inner end of clutch dog 39.- This dog is held up by means of 'the cam track 29 riding under th'e'lip 40. It engages with one of the notches 38 as soon as 29 is removed from the holding lip of dog 39 by the already-described mechanical operations following the energizing of solenoid 23; thereupon it drops into one of the notches 38 owing to pressure of the spring 41. It will be noted that a plurality of notches 38 are provided to reduce the intermission between'the moment the push buttons 13 and 13a are depressed, and the moment the shaft 36 begins to .revolve. y 2

Clutch dog 39 slides inaradial slot in the clutch plate 42 which is pinned onto shaft 36 by means of pm 201. This pin is. a safeguard against overloading other vital parts of the machine and will be of sufliciently soft material. or small size 'to limit the power transmitted by 36.

As soon as clutch dog 39 engages with one of the notches 38, the shaft 36 will be turned one turn or until thedog lip 40 rides up on cam track 29. This cam track goes back into its original position as soonv asshaft36 and disc 42 have revolved enough to allow a return of 29 without interfering with 39. This is accomplished by a cam 43 on shaft 36, which engages with a cam follower 44, Figure 4. 44,0perates. via the bell crank 45, a link 46, another bell crank 4'7, and another link 48, the contact lever 15, shown also on Figure 8. Thus the engagement of the cam 43 causes a disengagement of contact lever point 49 and contact toe,17. The power applied to the solenoid 23 is interrupted no matter whether buttons 13 and 13a are still pressed or notand the cam track 29 is brought back to its original posi- .tion to engage ,under lip 40 by means of a spring 50. The engagement of cam follower 44 and the cam 43 .issecured by means of spring 51. The

, last-described operation may be designated as a clutch safety release. This definitely insures that shaft 36 is stopped, again after havingmade one full turn, no matter whether the .push buttons are depressed during this period or are left depressed by inadvertence. The push buttons must be released before operating the machine a second time. This will cause the operator to withdraw the piece onto which the tag was applied and will help prevent two or more tags from being applied at the same point.

Whencontact lever 15 isoperated from cam 43,-a free snapping of toe 17 into the position 53 shown by dotted lines on Figure 8, issecured. Upon releasing button 13, the contact pin goes back and contact points 21 and 22 are disengaged. If 15 moves back because of further turning of cam 43 before the button 13 was released, the toe 1'7 would pass thepoint 49 upon releasing of 13 and go back to the uppermost position;

It is obvious from the above that shaft 36 cannot make one full revolution without the driven coupling member 42 being disconnected from the driving member 3'7. .Onto shaft 36, an eccentric 54, more clearly shown on Figure 6, is keyed.

This eccentric operates a strap 55 which operates through rod 55a the crank 56 of ratchet member 57; Upon the first half of the revolution of shaft 36, the teeth of the ratchet member 57 slide over by means of spring members 63. On the second half of the turn of the shaft 36, the ratchet mem- J bers 57 and 58 will be, due'to the particular shape l:

of the ratchet teeth, locked together, and the auxiliary shaft 59 will be revolved a fraction of a revolution. Auxiliary shaft 59 is supported by bearings 64 between whichthe feed roller 3 is keyed onto'the auxiliary shaft. The eccentric is so dimensioned that thisfeed roller pushes the ribbon, from which the tags are-cut, for the length of one tag.

At the end of shaft 59,-a bevel gear65 is keyed,

which conveys motion'to the tag carrying mecha-1 nism described in my'original application already referred to. I

After-the ribbon is fed into the machine, as

previously described, straightened out, and put a complete tag can beicut by the die members 82 and 99, shown Iclaimz H 1. In a machine for making and applying identification tags from a ribbon-like material,

a feed mechanism for feeding the ribbon to the machine, and a. straightening mechanism for straightening out the ribbon before its travel through the machine comprising spaced .rolls below the path of the-ribbon, an intermediate roll above the path of the ribbon, independently adjustable supporting and adjusting rods for the intermediate roll having bearings for the ends of said roll above the path of the ribbon and extending one on each side of the ribbon path to points below the latter, and adjustment nuts for said rods. r

2. In mechanism "of the character described, the combination of a main shaft, manually controlled mechanism for connecting the said shaft to driving mechanism, automatic means for disconnecting the shaft from the driving mechanism, a feed roller for a ribbon, a'shaft therefor, an oscillatory member operatively connected with the main shaft, and clutch mechanism conin Figure 2.

'necting the oscillatory member. to the feed roller 

